Leaving L.A. Review — Is It Worth Reading?

Verdict: A quiet, character-driven 2011 celebrity romance: a closeted, retired movie star hires her daughter’s kindergarten teacher as a summer nanny. Readers love the characters, the cute kid and the Hawaii trip; many struggle with heavy info-dumping, sparse dialogue and a rushed final third.

Best for: Kate Christie fans and readers who like a slow, domestic celebrity romance with a child in the picture.

Heat level: 🌶️🌶️

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.4/5 — a 3.85 Goodreads average across 440 ratings, 3.52 on StoryGraph from 34 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 83 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Celebrity/non-celebrity, nanny, single parent, closeted actress, slow burn, vacation romance.

Leaving L.A. is Kate Christie’s 2011 contemporary lesbian romance from Bella Books. Movie star Tessa Flanagan has retired from Hollywood to raise her daughter Laya and launch a career in philanthropy — and she has carefully guarded secrets.

It holds a 3.85 average across 440 Goodreads ratings, with 67% of them four or five stars, 3.52 on StoryGraph from 34 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 83 Amazon ratings.

What Is Leaving L.A. About?

As the school year ends, Tessa realises Laya’s beloved teacher, Eleanor Chapin, might be the perfect summer nanny. For Eleanor, L.A. is just a stop between Boston and a long-awaited Ph.D. program, but the offer is too good to refuse.

The story moves from Chicago’s South Side to the Hollywood Hills, New England and Kauai as two women looking for home get closer than either planned.

What Works in This Book

Characters: Even mixed reviews say the characters are distinct and likeable, and little Laya is a favourite.
Slow burn: Readers credit a believable build with no instalove.
Representation: Readers appreciate that Tessa is mixed race, Irish and Filipino.
Settings: The L.A. and Hawaii scenes are vividly described.

Book Synopsis

A retired star hires her daughter’s teacher for the summer, sure her secrets are safe.

But Eleanor is only passing through — and neither expected to fall.

My Review

Christie writes well-rounded, likeable people in believable situations, and one reader calls this celebrity romance done right because the relationship feels realistic. The celebrity paranoia is handled seriously, alongside grief — Eleanor arrives after caring for her dying mother.

The recurring problem is execution. Several readers say much of the book is info-dumping with barely any dialogue, and a few skimmed or quit. One found both leads constantly insecure, another the last third disjointed and the ending abrupt, and a few the pop-culture references dated or jarring.

My honest note: Patient readers will enjoy the people; skimmers won’t.

Element	In Leaving L.A.
Central relationship	Tessa Flanagan (retired movie star) & Eleanor Chapin (kindergarten teacher turned nanny)
Core tropes	Nanny, single parent, closeted celebrity, slow burn
Setting	Los Angeles and Kauai
Heat level	🌶️🌶️
Length	288 pages (paperback)
Series	Standalone
Content notes	Death of a parent, celebrity paranoia, closeting

How Spicy Is Leaving L.A.?

Moderately; readers talk more about sexual tension and build-up than about explicit scenes.

Readers mention grief and serious issues treated with respect.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you enjoy slow, character-first celebrity romance. It is on our celebrity lesbian romance list.

You may want to skip it if: you want lots of dialogue and a strong ending.

In short: Lovely people, heavy exposition.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 26% five stars, 41% four, 26% three, 4% two and 2% one. One Girls of Summer fan says it did not work for her like Christie’s other books, while another made Christie an auto-buy author after it.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The characters first. Second, slow burn. Third, Laya. Fourth, Hawaii.

What readers argue about and complain about: Info-dumping, above everything. Second, insecurity. Third, the abrupt ending.

The comparison worth making first: Training Ground, the start of Christie’s better-loved Girls of Summer series.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Leaving L.A. a nanny romance?

Yes. Retired star Tessa Flanagan hires her daughter Laya’s kindergarten teacher, Eleanor Chapin, as a summer nanny.

Is Leaving L.A. a slow burn?

Yes. Readers praise a relationship that develops without instalove, with plenty of pining along the way — though one felt the feelings arrived too quickly.

Why do some readers struggle with it?

The style. Several readers say there is little dialogue and a lot of background info-dumping, and some skimmed or did not finish.

How does it end?

Some readers found the final third disjointed and the ending abrupt; one wanted more of the closing scenes.

Is Leaving L.A. on Kindle Unlimited?

Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99.

If You Loved Leaving L.A., Read These Next

Try All That Lies Within or Training Ground. Browse our celebrity list or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

Leaving L.A. sets out to be a gentle celebrity romance about two women looking for home, and its characters deliver. What holds it back is exposition-heavy storytelling and a rushed finish. For patient readers. Check Leaving L.A. on Amazon →